Apart from the youngest daughter of the Countess (who was four years older than her sister and kept herself as a big one) and the guest ladies, Nicholas and Sonja the niece stayed in the living room. Sonia was a thin, tiny brunette with a soft, long, chunky eyelash, a thick black scythe wrapped around her head twice, and a yellowish tint of skin on her face and especially on her skinny, but graceful, muscular hands and neck. With her smooth movements, softness and flexibility of her small penises, and a somewhat cunning and discreet manner, she resembled a beautiful but not yet formed kitten, who would be a lovely kitten. She seemed to think it was a good idea to show a smile to participate in the general conversation; But against her will, her eyes were looking at cousin, who was leaving for the army with such a girlish adored smile that her smile couldn't deceive anyone for a moment, and it was obvious that the cat sat down only to jump and play with her cousin even more vigorously as soon as they, like Boris and Natasha, got out of the living room.
- Yes, ma chère," said the old count, addressing the guest and pointing to his Nicolas. - Here's his friend Boris is made into officers, and he, out of friendship, does not want to lag behind him; he throws both the university and me, the old man: going into military service, ma chère. And his place in the archive was ready, that's all. That's friendship, isn't it? - The Earl said questioningly.
- Yes, because war is said to have been declared," said the guest.
- It's been said for a long time," said the count. - They will talk again, they will talk again, and they will leave it that way. Ma chère, that's friendship! - He repeated. - He's going to the hussars.
The guest, not knowing what to say, shook her head.
- Not out of friendship at all," Nikolai answered, flashing and dissuading himself as if from a shameful sticker on him. - Not friendship at all, but just a vocation for military service.
He looked back at his cousin and the guest lady: both looked at him with a smile of approval.
- Nowadays, Shubert, Colonel of the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment, is having lunch with us. He was on vacation here and takes him with him. What to do? - The count said, shrugging his shoulders and joking about the case, which apparently cost him a lot of grief.
- I told you, Daddy," said the son, "that if you don't want to let me go, I will stay. But I know I'm not fit for anything but military service; I'm not a diplomat, I'm not an official, I don't know how to hide what I'm feeling," he said, looking at Sonya and the guest lady with a coquetry of beautiful youth.
Kitty, getting into it with her eyes, seemed to be ready to play every second and show all her cat nature.
- Well, well, well, good! - said the old count. - Everything is hot. All Bonaparte has turned everyone's head; everybody thinks how he got into the emperor from the guarantors. Well, God willing," he added, without noticing the guest's mocking smile.
The big ones talked about Bonaparte. Julie, daughter of Karagina, turned to the young Rostov:
- It's a pity you weren't here on Thursday at Arkharovs'. I was bored without you," she said, smiling gently at him.
The flattered young man, with a coquettish smile of youth, moved closer to her and entered into a separate conversation with Julie, smiling, without noticing that this involuntary smile of his, with a knife of jealousy, was cutting the heart of Sonia, who was blushing and smiling pretend to be. In the middle of the conversation, he looked back at her. Sonya looked at him passionately and angrily, barely holding her tears in her eyes and smiling pretendly on her lips, got up and left the room. All the revival of Nikolai disappeared. He waited for the first break of the conversation and with a disappointed face came out of the room to find Sonya.
- How the secrets of all these young people are sewn with white threads! - Anna Mikhailovna said, pointing to Nikolai coming out. - Cousinage dangereux voisinage 1," she added.
- Yes," said the Countess, "after the sun ray that penetrated the living room with this young generation disappeared, as if answering a question that no one had ever done to her, but that was constantly occupying her. - How much suffering, how much anxiety, how much anxiety had been endured for rejoicing at them now! And now, rightly, there is more fear than joy. You are afraid, you are afraid! This is the age at which there are so many dangers for both girls and boys.
- Everything depends on your upbringing," said the guest.
- Yes, it's true," the Countess continued. - So far I have been, thank God, a friend of my children and enjoy their full confidence," said the Countess, repeating the misconception of many parents who believe that their children have no secrets from them. - I know that I will always be the first confidente of my two daughters, and that Nikolai, in her ardent nature, if she is to be haunted (the boy can not without it), it is not like these gentlemen of St. Petersburg.
- Yes, the glorious, glorious guys, - confirmed the Count, who always solved the confusing questions for him by finding everything glorious. - Here you go! I wanted to be a hussar! That's what you want, ma chère!
- What a cute little creature your little one is! - said the Guest. - Gunpowder!
- Yes, gunpowder," said the Count. - It's coming at me! And what a voice: though my daughter is, I will tell you the truth